1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric terminal to be used for a water-proof connector including a water-proof mat seal, used as an electric connector between various devices to be equipped in, for instance, an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-198118 suggests an example of a water-proof connector including a water-proof mat seal and an electric terminal to be inserted thereinto.
FIG. 18 is a broken cross-sectional view of the water-proof connector and the electric terminal both suggested in the above-identified Publication, and FIG. 19 is a front view of the terminal.
A terminal 70 is fabricated by pressing a metal sheet. As illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19, the terminal 70 includes a body 71 in the form of a box, and a barrel portion 72 onto which a wire W is compressed and fixed at an end thereof. The body 71 is open at a front thereof such that a second terminal (not illustrated) is inserted thereinto for electrically connecting with the terminal 70. The body 71 includes at a side edge on a lower surface a pair of stabilizers 73a and 73b spaced away from each other and extending downwardly.
The stabilizers 73a and 73b are formed by binding a metal sheet, and are in the form of a flat sheet having a thickness twice greater than that of the metal sheet. The front stabilizer 73a has a front edge 75a aligning with a front edge of the body 71, and tapered in a length-wise direction of the body 71. The rear stabilizer 73b is situated in the vicinity of a center in a length-wise direction of the body 71, and has a rear edge 75b tapered in a length-wise direction of the body 71.
A recess 77 is defined between the stabilizers 73a and 73b. As mentioned later, a housing 80 is formed with a lance 95 having an engagement portion 92. The engagement portion 92 is engaged with the recess 77 when the terminal 70 is inserted into the housing 80.
When the terminal 70 is inserted into a cavity 81 formed in the housing 80, the stabilizers 73a and 73b are fit into guide grooves 82 and 85 to thereby introduce the terminal 70 into the cavity 81.
The housing 80 made of synthetic resin is formed therein with a plurality of cavities 81 into each of which the terminal 70 is inserted. Each of the cavities 81 includes at side edges on an inner lower surface thereof guide grooves 82 into which the stabilizers 73a and 73b of the terminal 70 can be fit.
The cavities 81 are partitioned by a partition wall 83 in the form of a matrix. The housing 80 includes a front wall 84 facing a front end of the cavities 81. The front wall 84 is formed with an opening 90 through which a male terminal (not illustrated) can be inserted into the cavity 81 for electrically connecting with the terminal 70 having been already inserted into the cavity 81.
The housing 80 includes at a rear thereof a hole 87 leading to all of the cavities 81. A rubber cap 88 is fit into the hole 87 at a bottom of the hole 87. The rubber cap 88 is designed to have a predetermined thickness, and a substantially rectangular cross-section to allow the rubber cap 88 to be tightly fit into the hole 87.
The rubber cap 88 includes at a circumferential surface thereof external lips 89, and further a plurality of holes 91 each aligning with each of the cavities 81 of the housing 80. Each of the holes 91 includes at an inner surface thereof internal lips 91a deformable on making contact with an outer surface of the wire W to thereby make close contact with the outer surface of the wire W.
The rubber cap 88 is fixed in the hole 87 by a cover 93 inserted into the hole 87 to compress the rubber cap 88. The cover 93 is made of synthetic resin, and has such a cross-section that the cover 93 can be tightly fit into the hole 87. The cover 93 is formed with a plurality of windows 94 in a matrix each aligning with each of the cavities 81 of the housing 80 and each of the holes 91 of the rubber cap 88 to allow the terminal 70 to be inserted into the cavity 81 through the windows 94 and the holes 91.
Each of the windows 94 includes at side edges on an inner lower surface thereof guide grooves 85 into which the stabilizers 73a and 73b of the terminal 70 can be fit. The guide grooves 82 of the housing 80 and the guide grooves 85 of the cover 93 align with each other in a direction in which the terminal 70 is inserted into the cavity 81.
The cover 93 includes a pair of arms 96 outwardly extending from upper and lower ends of the cover 93. Protrusions 86 standing on an outer surface of the housing 80 are fit into recesses 96a formed at inner surfaces of the arms 96, thus the cover 93 is fixed to the housing 80 to thereby prevent the rubber cap 88 from being released out of the housing 80.
As illustrated in FIG. 18, the terminal 70 having been inserted into the cavity 81 in the housing 80 is kept engaged in the cavity 80, since the engagement portion 92 extending from the lance 95 formed in the cavity 81 is elastically engaged with the recess 77. The stabilizers 73a and 73b extend in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the terminal 70 is inserted into the cavity 81 are fit into the guide groove 82 formed at an inner surface of the cavity 81 to thereby guide the terminal 70 to be inserted into the cavity 81.
As illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19, the terminal 70 includes the stabilizers 73a and 73b formed by bending a sidewall of the terminal 70 to inside from outside. The stabilizers 73a and 73b have a function of engagement with the lance 95 formed in the cavity 81.
When the terminal 70 is inserted into the cavity 81 or pulled out of the cavity 81, rough surfaces of the stabilizers 73a and 73b may interfere with an inner surface of the hole 91 of the rubber cap 88 to thereby damage the rubber cap 88. Herein, “rough surfaces” mean surfaces of the stabilizers 73a and 73b at which an electrically conductive metal sheet is cut or punched into a shape of the terminal 70.